Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic Partner with Teachers' Union to Launch AI Training Academy

Microsoft, OpenAI, and a US Teachers' Union Are Hatching a Plan to 'Bring AI into the Classroom'

Microsoft and OpenAI are planning to announce Tuesday that they are helping to launch an AI training center for members of the second-largest teachers' union in the US, according to details about the initiative that appear to have been inadvertently published early on YouTube. The National Academy for AI Instruction will be based in New York City and aims to equip kindergarten up to 12th grade instructors in the American Federation of Teachers with "the tools and confidence to bring AI into the classroom in a way that supports learning and opportunity for all students," according to the description of a publicly accessible YouTube livestream scheduled for Tuesday morning. The YouTube page also lists Anthropic, which develops the Claude chatbot, as a collaborator on what's described as a $22.5 million initiative to bring free "AI training and curriculum" to teachers. The three AI companies and the union did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the information released on YouTube. On Monday, Microsoft and the union declined to share details ahead of an announcement planned for Tuesday morning in New York. American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten has said that educators must have a seat at the table in how AI is integrated into their profession. The new national academy could help teachers better understand fast-changing AI technologies and evolve their curriculum to prepare students for a world in which the tools are core to many jobs. But the program is likely to draw rebuke from some union members concerned about the commercial incentives of tech giants shaping what happens in US classrooms. Google, Apple, and Microsoft have competed for years to get their tools into schools in hopes of turning children into lifelong users. (Microsoft and OpenAI have also increasingly become competitors, despite a once-close relationship.) Just last week, several professors in the Netherlands published an open letter calling for local universities to reconsider financial relationships with AI companies and ban AI use in the classroom. All-out bans appear unlikely amid the growing usage of generative AI chatbots. So AI companies, employers, and labor unions may be left to try to find some common ground. The forthcoming training academy follows a partnership Microsoft struck in December 2023 to work with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, or AFL-CIO, on developing and deploying AI systems. The American Federation of Teachers is part of the AFL-CIO, and Microsoft had said at the time it would work with the union to explore AI education for workers and students. The federation's website says it represents about 1.8 million workers, which beside K-12 teachers also includes school nurses and college staff. The National Education Association, the largest US teachers' union, has about 3 million members, according to its website.

OpenAI, Microsoft Back New Academy to Bring AI Into Classrooms

OpenAI, Microsoft Corp. and Anthropic are partnering with one of the largest teachers unions in the US to establish a new training center to help educators use artificial intelligence tools in classrooms across the country. The National Academy for AI Instruction will provide access to AI training workshops and seminars free of cost to educators, with the goal of supporting 400,000 K-12 educators over the next five years, the American Federation of Teachers said on Tuesday. The initiative is supported by $23 million in funding from the three AI companies, with Microsoft serving as the single biggest backer.

Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic announce free AI academy with national teachers' union

The nation's largest teachers' union -- representing millions of staff within America's education system -- has joined forces with some of the world's top players in AI to ready another generation of tech-savvy educators. Announced Tuesday, July 8, by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and New York City-based affiliate United Federation of Teachers, along with tech giants Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic, the new National Academy for AI Instruction will funnel $23 million toward free AI training and curriculum for all 1.8 million union members. The goal of the program and its brick-and-mortar Manhattan facility -- the brainchild of venture capitalist Roy Bahat and modeled after other high-tech training centers -- is to create a "national model for AI-integrated curriculum," according to the coalition, focused on skills-based workshops, online courses, and hands-on training. Microsoft will invest $12.5 million into the training program, with an additional $8 million in funding from OpenAI and $500,000 from Anthropic, the New York Times reports. OpenAI will also provide $2 million in technical resources. "To best serve students, we must ensure teachers have a strong voice in the development and use of AI. This partnership will not only help teachers learn how to better use AI, it will give them the opportunity to tell tech companies how we can create AI that better serves kids," said Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Led by the AFT, the academy will begin with a New York-based trainee cohort in the fall, with plans to scale nationwide at a later date. Tech and labor partners say they expect to train 400,000 educators over the next five years. Microsoft, the academy's lead partner, partnered with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) in 2023, intended to start a dialogue on AI's anticipated disruption of global workforces following several successful organizing efforts among Microsoft workers. The company also agreed to neutrality frameworks with both the Communication Workers of America and the AFL-CIO, ensuring collective bargaining opportunities for workers seeking AI protections. "The direct connection between a teacher and their kids can never be replaced by new technologies, but if we learn how to harness it, set commonsense guardrails and put teachers in the driver's seat, teaching and learning can be enhanced," wrote AFT President Randi Weingarten. "The academy is a place where educators and school staff will learn about AI -- not just how it works, but how to use it wisely, safely, and ethically." At large, corporations and AI developers have placed huge bets on the education field, including investing millions into initiatives designed to get free, premium AI tools, chatbots, and coding curriculum into K-12 and higher education classrooms. Microsoft, for example, launched new AI tools designed specifically for teachers on Microsoft 365, as well as a standalone AI app, Microsoft Learning Zone, geared toward classroom lesson plans and activities. Google, which leads the industry in classroom tech, has gone live with a plethora of AI features for Google Classroom, Workspace for Education, and Chromebook users, including an education-specific Gemini integration, as well as its own education LLM. In April, OpenAI announced it would offer two months of ChatGPT Plus for free to enrolled college students, following the launch of a free curriculum for K-12 teachers on integrating AI into their courses. OpenAI's vice president of education Leah Belsky is on record saying the company hopes to make AI the "core infrastructure of higher education" and increase chatbot use among student populations, despite concerns about the tech's affect on educators and potential longterm side effects for student users.

Teachers union partners with Anthropic, Microsoft and OpenAI to launch AI-training academy

Anne Marie D. Lee is an editor for CBS MoneyWatch. She writes about topics including personal finance, the workplace, travel and social media. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) on Tuesday announced the fall launch of the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million endeavor funded by Anthropic, Microsoft and OpenAI, three main players in the generative AI revolution. With the creation of the academy, leading artificial intelligence companies are stepping up their efforts to bring AI to schools across the U.S. OpenAI has committed to giving $10 million over five years, while Microsoft will provide $12.5 million. Anthropic, meanwhile, will contribute $500,000 the first year, said Andrew Crook, a spokesperson for the AFT. While some educators have expressed concern over being replaced by AI, AFT said it seeks to embrace the technology in a way that protects teachers' place at the head of the classroom. With this in mind, the foundation said reached out to tech companies for their assistance in developing the AI-training academy. "The direct connection between a teacher and their kids can never be replaced by new technologies, but if we learn how to harness it, set commonsense guardrails and put teachers in the driver's seat, teaching and learning can be enhanced," AFT President Randi Weingarten said in the announcement. "We want to do it in a way that teachers can really master the tools," Weingarten told CBS MoneyWatch. Courses will begin this fall at the United Federation of Teachers' facility in Manhattan, New York. Funding from the tech trio will also go toward the buildout of additional hubs throughout the U.S., which are set to open in 2030, according to Crook. UFT is an affiliate of AFT. The companies say the training academy will offer a space for educators to learn how to harness AI and implement it safely and ethically in their classrooms. The programming, designed by AI experts and educators, will include workshops, online courses and hands-on training sessions, according to the AFT. "We're at a pivotal moment in education, and how we introduce AI to educators today will shape teaching for generations to come," Anthropic co-Founder Jack Clark said in an emailed statement on the partnership. AFT said the academy will offer free virtual training to all 1.8 million members in its union, starting with K-12 educators. The federation's ultimate goal is to train 400,000 educators -- about 10% of the U.S. teaching workforce -- at the in-person facility over the next five years. AI is already reshaping classrooms, as students and teachers have access to AI-powered tools such as ChatGPT, which the latter are using more frequently, according to a recent survey from investment bank Tyton Partners. The rapid rise of AI has raised concerns about students using the technology to cheat or complete their assignments, with some schools implementing AI detection software. Meanwhile, research is also beginning to tease apart how AI affects our thinking. A recent study from MIT found that over-reliance on artificial intelligence can reduce brain activity and critical cognitive functions. Keeping teachers in the drivers' seat is key to harnessing AI technology so that it is being used constructively in the classroom, according to AFT's Weingarten. Gerry Petrella, general manager of U.S. public policy at Microsoft, echoed her sentiments. "We know students are going to benefit the most from this technology when we put teachers at the center of this tool," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Anthropic, Microsoft and OpenAI fund new school to educate teachers on using AI

Anne Marie D. Lee is an editor for CBS MoneyWatch. She writes about topics including personal finance, the workplace, travel and social media. Leading artificial intelligence companies are stepping up their efforts to bring AI to schools across the U.S. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) on Tuesday announced the fall launch of the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million endeavor backed by Anthropic, Microsoft and OpenAI, three main players in the generative AI revolution. "The direct connection between a teacher and their kids can never be replaced by new technologies, but if we learn how to harness it, set commonsense guardrails and put teachers in the driver's seat, teaching and learning can be enhanced,"AFT President Randi Weingarten said in a release. OpenAI has committed to giving $10 million over five years, while Microsoft will provide $12.5 million. Anthropic, meanwhile, will contribute $500,000 the first year, said Andrew Crook, a spokesperson for the AFT. The companies say the training academy will offer a space for educators to learn how to harness AI and implement it safely and ethically in their classrooms. The programming, designed by AI experts and educators, will include workshops, online courses and hands-on training sessions, according to the AFT. Courses will begin this fall at the United Federation of Teachers' facility in Manhattan, New York. Funding from the tech trio will also go toward the buildout of additional hubs throughout the U.S., which are set to open in 2030, according to Crook. UFT is an affiliate of AFT. AFT said the academy will offer free virtual training to all 1.8 million members in its union, starting with K-12 educators. The federation's ultimate goal is to train 400,000 educators -- about 10% of the U.S. teaching workforce -- at the in-person facility over the next five years. "We want to do it in a way that teachers can really master the tools," Randi Weingarten, the president of AFT, told CBS MoneyWatch.

Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic Pour $23 Million into an AI Training Center for Teachers

The hub is backed by some of tech's biggest companies, including Microsoft and OpenAI, and is part of a bigger push to bring AI to education. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the second-largest U.S. teachers' union with 1.8 million members across the U.S., is starting a new training hub with funding from the biggest AI names. AFT announced on Tuesday that it would start a new AI training center for teachers, the National Academy for AI Instruction, with backing from Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic. The hub is set to open in New York City this fall, starting with workshops, online courses, and hands-on training for K-12 educators on how to use AI for tasks like creating lesson plans. The center aims to support 400,000 teachers over the next five years. Microsoft has committed $12.5 million to the hub, OpenAI will provide $10 million in funding, and Anthropic will give $500,000 for the first year the hub opens, for a total of $23 million in funding. The move is part of a broader push by AI companies to bring AI to the classroom. AI use is rapidly becoming normalized in higher education, with California State University stating in February that it would provide ChatGPT for its 460,000 university students. High schools are also feeling the push, with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the third-largest school system in the nation, introducing Google AI chatbots to more than 100,000 high school students this spring. Related: A New AI Chatbot Is Revolutionizing Business School Curriculum and Accreditation -- Here's What It Could Change A Bloomberg Intelligence report predicted that the generative AI market will expand to $1.3 trillion by 2032, up from just $40 billion in 2022. Teachers are also increasingly using AI. Consulting group Tyton Partners found that the percentage of teachers who reported using AI nearly doubled from 22% in 2023 to 40% in 2024. The same survey found that in 2024, nearly 60% of students reported using AI at least once a month for assignments. However, not everyone approves of AI use in the classroom. Earlier this year, Northeastern University student Ella Stapleton asked the school for a refund for an $8,000 course after she noticed the professor used AI to create lecture notes and slide presentations. Northeastern University denied her request. There are also cognitive dangers associated with AI. A study released by Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University in January found that while AI can improve efficiency, it can also "reduce critical engagement," leading to "diminished independent problem-solving." The researchers found that humans who were more confident in AI's abilities used fewer critical thinking skills. They left the thinking to AI instead of doing it themselves.

OpenAI and Microsoft bankroll new AI training for teachers - The Economic Times

The American Federation of Teachers is launching an AI training hub for educators, funded by Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic, to integrate AI tools into classrooms. This initiative follows similar moves by California State University and Miami-Dade County Public Schools to adopt AI technologies like ChatGPT and Gemini.The tech industry's campaign to embed artificial intelligence chatbots in classrooms is accelerating. The American Federation of Teachers, the second-largest U.S. teachers union, said Tuesday that it would start an AI training hub for educators with $23 million in funding from three leading chatbot makers: Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic. The union said it planned to open the National Academy for AI Instruction in New York City, starting with hands-on workshops for teachers this fall on how to use AI tools for tasks like generating lesson plans. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said the AI academy was inspired by other unions, such as the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, that have worked with industry partners to set up high-tech training centers. The New York hub will be "an innovative new training space where school staff and teachers will learn not just about how AI works, but how to use it wisely, safely and ethically," Weingarten said in an interview. The industry funding is part of a drive by U.S. tech companies to reshape education with generative AI chatbots. These tools, including OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft's Copilot, can produce humanlike essays, research summaries and class quizzes. In February, California State University, the largest U.S. university system, said it would provide ChatGPT for some 460,000 students. This spring, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the third-largest U.S. school district, began rolling out Google's Gemini AI for more than 100,000 high schoolers. The Trump administration, which recently froze nearly $7 billion in funding for schools, has called on industry to pony up for AI education. Last week, the White House urged U.S. companies and nonprofit groups to provide AI grants, technology and training materials for schools, teachers and students. Since then, dozens of companies have signed on, including Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and OpenAI. But some researchers have warned that generative AI tools are so new in schools that there is little evidence of concrete educational benefit -- and significant concern about risk. "I do think that there is a risk," said Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, noting that he frequently cited the critical thinking study to employees. He added that more rigorous academic research on the effects of generative AI was needed. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

AFT to launch National Academy for AI Instruction with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic and United Federation of Teachers

NEW YORK, July 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The AFT, alongside the United Federation of Teachers and lead partner Microsoft Corp., founding partner OpenAI, and Anthropic, announced the launch of the National Academy for AI Instruction today. The groundbreaking $23 million education initiative will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all 1.8 million members of the AFT, starting with K-12 educators. It will be based at a state-of-the-art bricks-and-mortar Manhattan facility designed to transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States. The academy will help address the gap in structured, accessible AI training and provide a national model for AI-integrated curriculum and teaching that puts educators in the driver's seat. Teachers are facing tremendous technological changes, which include the challenges of navigating AI wisely, ethically and safely. They are overwhelmed and looking for ways to gain the skills they need to help their students succeed. The program is the first partnership between a national union and tech companies, structured to create a sustainable education infrastructure for AI. "To best serve students, we must ensure teachers have a strong voice in the development and use of AI," said Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft. "This partnership will not only help teachers learn how to better use AI, it will give them the opportunity to tell tech companies how we can create AI that better serves kids." The announcement was made at the headquarters of the AFT's largest affiliate, the 200,000-member New York City-based UFT, where hundreds of educators were on hand for a three-day training session, including six hours of AI-focused material that highlighted practical, hands-on ways to marry the emerging technology with established pedagogy. "AI holds tremendous promise but huge challenges -- and it's our job as educators to make sure AI serves our students and society, not the other way around," said AFT President Randi Weingarten. "The direct connection between a teacher and their kids can never be replaced by new technologies, but if we learn how to harness it, set commonsense guardrails and put teachers in the driver's seat, teaching and learning can be enhanced. "The academy is a place where educators and school staff will learn about AI -- not just how it works, but how to use it wisely, safely and ethically. This idea started with the partnership between lead partner Microsoft and the AFL-CIO in late 2023. We jointly hosted symposiums over the past two summers, but never reached critical mass to ensure America's educators are coaches in the game, not spectators on the sidelines. Today's announcement would not be possible without the cooperation of Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic and the leadership at the United Federation of Teachers, and I thank them for their efforts." "When it comes to AI in schools, the question is whether it is being used to disrupt education for the benefit of students and teachers or at their expense. We want this technology to be used by teachers for their benefit, by helping them to learn, to think and to create," said Chris Lehane, chief global affairs officer of OpenAI. "This AI academy will help ensure that AI is being deployed to help educators do what they do best -- teach -- and in so doing, help advance the small-'d' democratizing power of education." "We're at a pivotal moment in education, and how we introduce AI to educators today will shape teaching for generations to come," said Anthropic Co-founder and Head of Policy Jack Clark. "That's why we're thrilled to partner with the AFT to empower teachers with the knowledge and tools to guide their students through this evolving landscape. Together, we're building a future where AI supports great teaching in ethical and effective ways." Anchored by the New York City facility, the National Academy for AI Instruction will serve as a premier hub for AI education, equipped with cutting-edge technology and operated under the leadership of the AFT and a coalition of public and private stakeholders. The academy will begin instruction later this fall and then scale nationally. Over five years, the program aims to support 400,000 educators -- approximately 10% of the U.S. teaching workforce -- reaching more than 7.2 million students. Through the training of thousands of teachers annually and by offering credential pathways and continuing education credits, the academy will facilitate broad AI instruction and expand opportunity for all. "For so long, there have been many new programs that were weaponized against educators," said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. "Our goal is to develop a tool that gives educators the ability to train their AI and incorporate it into their instructional planning, giving them more one-on-one time with their students." "Sometimes as a teacher you suffer burnout and you can't always communicate to the class in the right voice or find the right message and I feel like these AI tools we are working with can really help with that -- especially phrasing things in a way that helps students learn better," says Marlee Katz, teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing in multiple New York City public schools in the borough of Queens. "The tools don't take away your voice, but if I need to sound more professional or friendly or informed, I feel like these tools are like a best friend that can help you communicate. I love it." "As an instructional technology specialist for over 27 years, watching educators learn and work with AI reminds me of when teachers were first using word processors. We are watching educators transform the way people use technology for work in real time, but with AI it's on another unbelievable level because it's just so much more powerful," says Vincent Plato, New York City Public Schools K-8 educator and UFT Teacher Center director. "I think the UFT and the AFT were right to say AI is something educators should take ownership of, not only because it can assist with enhancing the way they interact with and meet the needs of students, but also because AI assists with educator workflow. It can be a thought partner when they're working by themselves, whether that's late-night lesson planning, looking at student data, or filing any types of reports -- a tool that's going to be transformative for teachers and students alike." Together, Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic and the AFT are proud to help our nation's teachers become AI-proficient educators and to leverage this unique partnership to democratize access to AI skills, ensuring that students from all backgrounds are prepared to thrive in an AI-driven future. Designed by leading AI experts and experienced educators, the program will include workshops, online courses, and hands-on training sessions, ensuring that teachers are well-equipped to navigate an AI-driven future. It will bring together interdisciplinary research teams to drive innovation in AI education and establish a national model for AI-integrated teaching environments. Finally, the academy will provide ongoing support and resources to help educators stay updated with the latest advancements in AI. Innovation labs and feedback cycles will ensure these tools are refined based on actual classroom experiences. Through scalable training modules, virtual learning environments and credential pathways, the program empowers a diverse range of educators to become confident leaders in AI instruction. In turn, these teachers will bring AI literacy, ethical reasoning and creative problem-solving into classrooms that might otherwise be left behind in the digital transformation. The idea for the academy was first proposed by venture capitalist, educator, activist and AFT member Roy Bahat. He is currently the head of Bloomberg Beta, the venture capital arm of Bloomberg, and will be joining the academy's board of directors. For more information about the National Academy for AI Instruction, please visit AIinstruction.org. About the AFT The AFT represents 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators. About Microsoft Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. About OpenAI OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company with a mission to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. About Anthropic Anthropic is an AI safety and research company that creates reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. Anthropic's flagship product is Claude, a large language model trusted by millions of users worldwide. Learn more about Anthropic and Claude at anthropic.com. About UFT The UFT represents nearly 200,000 members and is the sole bargaining agent for most of the nonsupervisory educators who work in the New York City public schools. This includes teachers; retired members; classroom paraprofessionals; and many other school-based titles including school secretaries, school counselors, occupational and physical therapists, family child care providers, nurses, and other employees at several private educational institutions and some charter schools.